Jane Marcet

Jane Marset (née Haldimand) (January 1, 1769 - June 28, 1858) was a British salon book and pioneering author of popular introductory science books. She also opened up new possibilities in Conversations on Political Economy (1816), which explained the ideas of Adam Smith, Malthus, and David Ricardo. Jane Marset was born in London on January 1, 1769. She was one of the twelve children of the wealthy Geneva merchant and banker Anthony Francis Haldimand (1740 / 41-1817) and his wife Jane (died in 1785). She studied at home with her brothers. Her studies included Latin (necessary for science), chemistry, biology, and history, as well as topics more familiar to young girls in England. Jane took over the management of the family at the age of 15, after the death of her mother. She ran the house and helped raise her younger brothers and sisters. Her younger brother William Haldimand (1784-1862) became Director of the Bank of England and Member of Parliament. She also acted as the hostess of her father, helping to entertain the frequent parties of scholarly and literary guests. Jane began to interest in painting during a trip to Italy with his father in 1796, and she studied with Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Lawrence. Her art education later allowed her to illustrate her books. In 1799, Jane was married to Alexander John Gaspard Marset (1770-1822), a political exile from Geneva, Switzerland, who graduated from medical school at the University of Edinburgh in 1797 and became a doctor. After the wedding, the Markets continued to live in London. They had four children, one of whom, François Mars (1803-1883), became a famous physicist. Alexander was very interested in chemistry and became a teacher at Gaya Hospital in London and a member of the Royal Society. When Jane became interested in studying chemistry, they conducted experiments together in a home laboratory, discussing relevant scientific principles.